I am a people person.

I like hugging, sitting next to, and having face-to-face interactions.

So, testing kids remotely and being a virtual school psych makes it a little difficult to get those needs met.

I don’t see any students over Zoom unless I’m testing them. I was lucky and got some teachers to buy in to the idea of doing interviews with them over Zoom. So at least it’s not strictly business. I get to know some of the kids beyond their performance on a test of cognitive abilities.

But, even with the “interviews.” It’s hard for a kid to open up to a stranger on the computer. It’s hard for them to even want to tell you what they ate for breakfast. Minus that one 5th grader who told me he LOVES middle school more than elementary school because he gets hot breakfast and none of that lame cereal and milk BS. Ha.

I know it’s worth it to me. Because every time I get to snuggle Ishu during his nap time or have the flexibility to fly home to California and not have to take a day off work, I am grateful for this job.

Everything changes when you’ve got a kid of your own.

But it still feels a little weird doing this whole remote thing and I know I will be back in a school building in the future.

Even though that connection with the kids feels a little distant, I still have small moments that bring joy to these monotonous testing sessions.

One of the kids I tested yesterday was trying to stall because he had HAD IT with all the testing.

“I have a big forehead,” he said.

“Oh yeah?” I responded.

“Yeah, look,” he said, pulling back the hood that was covering his hair.

He took his pointer finger and placed it horizontally against his forehead. Then his middle finger, then ring finger, then pinky. And then finally he put his thumb down.

“See? A five-head,” wiggling his fingers, showing me that all five fingers were slapped up against his “big forehead.”

I couldn’t help myself and I broke out laughing. Indulging in his attempt to distract me.

I miss kids so much. Their silliness, their sense of humor, their ability to ground me when I get carried away with the administrative craziness.

And, yeah, it’s a little harder to get that through Zoom.

But it’s not impossible.

So I’m going to hold on to these little moments – or these BIG “five-head” moments – because they keep me going. They remind me that while I’m trekking away doing all these monotonous testing sessions, they’re for these little humans that are oh-so worth it.